Embracing Darkness: Key Series, Short Story 1.5

by Tina Moss

  Cassie’s pulse quickened and cold fear gripped her. She heard from Zoey last night for the first time in weeks, but only in a message. She must have called back about fifty times, but every time Zoey’s phone went straight to voicemail. Why wouldn’t Zoey answer? No one knew how the blood bond they’d shared would affect either of them. Shortly after it happened, Zoey asked for space while trying to figure everything out and adjust to the situation. Cassie understood, but the worry ate at her nonetheless.

  Leaning against the dresser, Gabe’s eyes filled with concern. In a whisper, he asked, “Are you sure you still sense Zoey?”

  “Yes. I would know if she was...” She cast her eyes to the floor, struggling to say the word aloud. “I’d know if she was dead. She’s not, so let’s just concentrate.”

  A distant siren from the streets below sounded like it came from another world. Cassie clutched Zoey’s dark red sweater to her chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gabe bend down, his jaw tense. Her head jerked toward him.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Something else was here,” Gabe said, his hands glowing with a halo of electric blue. The color and feel of his energy had startled her when they’d first met, but now it seemed as natural and familiar as the rest of him. In such a short time, they’d come so far, learning each other intimately.

  Cassie struggled to focus on his words as the memories of the past few months rose to the surface. She blinked them away and concentrated on the present. “What do you mean?”

  “I feel a faint trace of something...or someone.” Gabe stood beside her in three short strides, taking her hands in his own.

  “You should be able to sense it too. You can do more than castaway demons, Cassie. Push your energy outward like I taught you. Feel the echoes of what was here before.”

  Cassie closed her eyes and took a deep steadying breath. She didn’t have the paralyzing headaches anymore that used to precede a demon manipulating her power and opening a portal. They disappeared when the bonding happened and her abilities came fully under her control. Yet, she could still feel supernatural energies in air currents and electromagnetic fields. Gabe even taught her to sense the remnants of those energies in places where a demon or angel had passed.

  With one hand still clutching Zoey’s sweater and the other connecting her to Gabe, she reached all of her force outward. Waves of midnight purple radiated over her body. She pushed further, reaching around the room with the essence. Then she felt it. The trace sparked very faintly, but it was there, the bottomless black energy unique to demons. As she fixated on the mark, she could also smell a mild hint of standing water. The stench clogged her nose. It’s repugnant odor disturbingly familiar, a clue that a demon passed into their world.

  “What the hell do we do?” she said, eyes snapping open. “Do you think another demon was after her?”

  “I don’t know,” Gabe said, squeezing her hand. “We could be detecting Val and his minions when they took her before your bonding, but that demon’s presence doesn’t make the situation look too good. He seemed like a brainless puppet.”

  Cassie shuddered picturing what Zoey must have gone through, the pain she must have suffered. It tore at her heart. “You know, this is where they kept her. This is where they tortured her before they brought her to us. I can almost feel...hate, hate for this place. And pain.” Glancing to the messy bed once more, she noticed scratches in the bedposts. The grooves ran deep as if someone had been fighting against the wood. She counted to ten, then twenty as she breathed, struggling not to hyperventilate. When she felt sure of keeping her panic down, she said, “I don’t think she’ll come back here. And I know she’s still alive. I sense it. But, where could she have gone? And with who...or what?”

  “Does she have any family?” Gabe shifted his energy around the room in another sweep, the electric blue bouncing off various objects, walls and windows. He zeroed in on a spot in the middle of the floor. The energy extended outward, grazing the area. She opened her mouth to ask what he’d found, but he shook his head and pulled back.

  As a fallen angel, his powers differed from Cassie’s abilities. Hers stemmed from both her demonic and angelic heritage, his came strictly from the Light. The longer he remained on Earth, the more strain on that angelic connection. Cassie learned to identify a fallen angel’s time on Earth by their eyes. Starting at a rich golden hue, over the years they faded, eventually turning to a lifeless brown. She’d seen it once before. Gabe’s mentor and friend, Albert had that dull color in his gaze just before her father, Val--the demon boss of Las Vegas--killed him.

  Cassie shook off the image. “Zoey’s family?” Her mind spun in ten different directions. It took her a minute before she could answer Gabe’s question. “She’s...um...she’s not close with them. I don’t think she’d go to them now.”

  Lights flickered from the window. The gnawing remnants of evil raised goosebumps along her arms. “Let’s get out of here.” She grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door. “I need to get out of here.”

  Gabe followed her out of the apartment and down to the city streets. The chill of a rainy day enveloped them. Cassie glanced at her watch.

  “Where is she, Gabe?” she said unable to keep the misery from her voice.

  Her mind drifted over the day’s search. Earlier that morning, she’d gone to Chez Hudson, the diner where she used to work with Zoey. She’d been none too happy to see or talk to her former boss, Mr. Turpis, and suspected he’d been less than happy to see her as well. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms and she’d never been fond of him to start. Her concern for Zoey, however, overrode her disgust at communicating with the jerk. Standing in the little hallway between the kitchen and his office, Mr. Turpis went off on a tirade.

  “She abandoned this place,” he said, his tone incredulous like he couldn’t possibly believe that a person wouldn’t want to work there.

  Cassie stifled a sharp sarcastic response.

  “When was the last time she worked?” she said with a sweet smile, opting for killer kindness over physical violence. “And did she tell you why she was leaving?”

  “Not that I have to tell you anything.” Mr. Turpis paused, crossing his arms atop his beefy stomach. Cassie continued to beam at him, hoping to get under his skin. It seemed to work as he fidgeted and then reverted back to his pleasant self. “Your poor excuse for a waitress friend picked up her last check two weeks ago. And she said that she was tired of working for me.” His voice rose and nostrils flared.

  “Appreciate your help, Mr. Turpis,” she said, holding herself back from punching him square in the nose. She’d get nothing useful from this creep. “You’ve been so helpful.”

  One pudgy finger flew in front of her face. “I don’t ever want to see you or your friend here again. You’re banned from Chez Hudson.” He turned on his heels and walked toward his office.

  Cassie couldn’t help herself. “I’m sure it’ll be our great loss.” Grinning over having the last word, she’d slipped out the back door. Gabe had met her in the alley. But, her smile fell when she’d recounted the information and realized they still had nothing to go on.

  Now, standing on East 10th Street outside of Zoey’s building with Gabe, the same desperation of this morning consumed her. They’d searched her job and her apartment, they’d tackled a demon, but they still were no closer to finding Zoey. Cassie fought the cold that steeled around her heart. Emptiness threatened to swallow her whole. She struggled against its paralyzing hold.

  “You’re blaming yourself again,” Gabe said in a deep voice. His beautiful eyes searched her face.

  “I can’t help it.” She lowered her gaze to the ground. “I did this to her.”

  She could sense more than see Gabe bristle. “You gave her a second chance at life, Cassie. You gave her a beautiful gift. It’s up to her how to handle it.”

  “Because of me she lost her chance at a normal life. At freedom.” She screamed, unable to control th
e stemming tide of loss. “In case you forgot, she was beaten and tortured by my own father and his people, because of me. All because of me. Then, she was nearly killed because of me.”

  Gabe put a light hand over her mouth and an arm around her waist, drawing her into the shadows of the building niche. He held her by her upper arms and brought his face close to hers.

  “Listen to me,” he said through gritted teeth. “You can never blame yourself for the actions of a demon, especially one as vicious as your father. I won’t let you.” He squeezed her in a firm embrace. “You brought Zoey back from the grave. She’s alive because of you.”

  Cassie shook her head, but couldn’t find the words. They remained silent. People passed by without paying them any attention. A cat sprang from somewhere behind a metal trash can and bounded up the street.

  “This isn’t helping things,” Gabe said at last, releasing his hold on her. With a long sigh, he added, “Let’s focus. It looks like that demon was half out of his wits, probably under some sort of compulsion. Whoever was his master placed him there after Zoey left. Otherwise, the bed clothes would have been ripped to shreds not scattered. So, if a demon is after her, she might not know it.” The lines on his forehead scrunched together. “She’d probably just go somewhere familiar, somewhere comfortable. If she was upset, where would she go?”

  He’s right. This isn’t helping. Cassie blinked back the tears that threatened to spill. She’d have time to cry once they found Zoey safe and sound. Think. Where would she go? Where would she go? The idea materialized like a light bulb clicking on.

  “The club!” she cried, then clapped her hands once in victory. “She’d definitely go. If she’s upset, she’d want to bury the feeling. And Zoey’s way to cope is definitely found in a club.”

  “Hold on a second, what club?”

  “The club where you came to talk to me that time.” Cassie closed her eyes for a second, trying to shake the memories of the night when her whole life changed; the night she saw her first demon. “Zoey uses dancing to let off steam and deal with stuff, and the club would be the ticket to do just that. I think that one, let’s see, what was it called?” She tried to remember the name. A flash of Zoey holding her hand as they walked into the club, and telling her the name of it, zipped through her mind. “Crimson. The name of the club’s Crimson. It’s her favorite.” She swallowed hard, thinking. “She seemed to know the bouncer. Maybe he’s seen her.”

  Gabe nodded. “Ok, that’s a good place to track down. We’ll go tonight.” He leaned over and kissed her. “Don’t worry. We’ll find her. I promise.”

  A tingling sensation started at her toes and worked its way up to her heart. The heat of his mouth on hers never failed to send her blood racing. Yet, even his kiss couldn’t send the fear away. Memories of the good times she and Zoey shared had her yearning for the past. A pang of regret swept through every bone in her body. And nothing, no matter how hard she wished, no matter how much she prayed would make it right.

  “I hope so, Gabe.” The fear reached its zenith and plunged her into a black despair. “I hope we didn’t start looking for her too late.”

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  Yelena Casale and Tina Moss are co-authors of the Key series, exciting urban fantasy stories with strong romantic elements, featuring a unique group of paranormal creatures set on saving—or destroying—our world.

  Catch more from Casale and Moss by visiting their websites below and signing up for the Ninja Newsletter or Team Ninja street team. Special contents, giveaways, swag items, ARCs, and discounts are available for subscribers only.

  And remember, dear reader, never fear the darkness.

  Websites: www.yelenacasale.com and www.tinamoss.com

  Facebook: Yelena on Facebook and Tina on Facebook

  Twitter: @Yelena_Casale and @Tina_Moss

  ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

  City Owl Press is a cutting edge indie publishing company, bringing the world of romance and speculative fiction to discerning readers. Sign up for the NEWSLETTER to discover all the latest, including chances for FREE books!

  www.cityowlpress.com

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Our biggest thanks go out to our readers. You inspire us to create the best stories for your enjoyment. Thank you for loving Embracing Darkness and wanting more.

  As always, to our amazing husbands, our biggest fans and supporters. Thank you for always being there for us, and for making it easier for us to pursue our dreams.

  To the special readers of the Readers’ Crown Contest, who chose A Touch of Darkness as the winner of the Readers’ Crown Award in the urban fantasy category in 2014. We are truly humbled and grateful.

  To the wonderful writers at Romance Divas, who put together a charity anthology for which this short story was originally conceived and created. The support of fellow writers can never be overstated.

  Special addition from Tina:

  To my wonderful family and friends, you always make me feel valued and loved in all of my pursuits. I am so thankful for your constant support and inspiration. You rock!

  Special addition from Yelena:

  To my beautiful family, including my parents, my brother and his family. And to my grandparents, who developed my curiosity and passion for all things literary and artistic since I was a child. I hope you know how much you mean to me.

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